Pickup attachments for loaders and bulldozers

ABSTRACT

A pair of curved jaws horizontally pivoted together at the top to open and close at the bottom, and with an inner jaw vertically pivoted to a front corner of a bulldozer blade or to a loader to swing horizontally fore and aft, both pivotings being alternatively powered or free, and the bottom part of the inner jaw being horizontal and wedge shaped in side elevation to slide under elongated articles such as logs and pipes.

United States Patent Inventor Alva Z. Albright P.0. Box 367, Port Barre, La. 70577 825,599

May 19, 1969 Oct. 19, 1971 Appl. No. Filed Patented PICKUP ATTACHMENTS FOR LOADERS AND BULLDOZERS 1 Claim, 5 Drawing Figs.

US. Cl 214/147, 37/] 17.5, 214/620 Int. Cl B66c 3/16 Field of Search 214/147, 620,730,3,1D,151;37/117.5

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,814,396 11/1957 Neale 214/3 2,903,803 9/1959 Austin 37/117.5

3,199,699 8/1965 Dayton..... 214/370 X 3,452,888 7/1969 Larson 214/80 FOREIGN PATENTS 720,263 10/1965 Canada 214/654 Primary ExaminerGerald M. Forlenza Assistant Examiner--George F. Abraham Att0rney.lames B. Lake, Jr.

ABSTRACT: A pair of curved jaws horizontally pivoted together at the top to open and close at the bottom, and with an inner jaw vertically pivoted to a front corner of a bulldozer blade or to a loader to swing horizontally fore and aft, both pivotings being alternatively powered or free, and the bottom part of the inner jaw being horizontal and wedge shaped in side elevation to slide under elongated articles such as logs and pipes.

PATENTEUUIJT 1 9 l97| SHEET 1 BF 2 FIG. 2.

INVENTOR. ALVA z. ALBRIGHT BY ATTORNEY PATENTEUIIEI 19 III 3.6 1 3 .92 a

INVENTOR. ALVA Z. ALBRIGHT ATTORNE PICKUP ATTACHMENTS FOR LOADERS AND BULLDOZERS The invention relates generally to apparatus for moving elongated, heavy objects lying on the ground, and more particularly to apparatus for picking up logs and pipes and or moving them about.

The invention can be used on loaders and bulldozers but will be described only as used on a bulldozer in logging operations.

It has been found that the use of bulldozers with blades for pushing or bundling logs that have been cut in the forests are efficient and fast except that for long logs more open space to turn and maneuver was required than was generally available between stumps.

An object of the invention is to provide means attachable to a bulldozer or loader for pushing and picking up logs lying on the ground in random directions, letting the jaws pivot around in fore and aft orientation to the course of the bulldozer as it is changed to turn in a restricted space, and carrying the logs with their long axes parallel to that of the bulldozer.

Another object of the invention is to provide an inner jaw with a horizontal wedge-shaped lower part for sliding under fallen logs preparatory to picking them up.

Other objects and a fuller understanding of the invention can be had by referring to the following specification, claims and drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a plan view of a bulldozer with the invention attached to the sides of the blade,

FlG. 2 is a side elevation of the matter illustrated in F IG. 1,

FIG. 3 is an enlarged view of the invention in side elevation, showing the various position of the outer jaw and the attachment to the side of the bulldozer blade,

FIG. 4 is a plan view of the attached invention, and

FIG. 5 is an enlarge three-dimensional view showing power arrangements for powered operation of the invention with a side of inner jaw removed.

The invention comprises essentially of a pair of vertical jaws together at the top by a horizontal pivot 12, the pair being mounted by vertical pivot 14 on the outer edge of the inner jaw 15 to an end of a bulldozer blade 16. (See FIGS. 1, 2 and 3). Usually a pair ofjaws 10 is mounted on each end of a bulldozer blade to equalize the loads and to reduce maneuvering.

The inner vertical jaw 15 is more massive than the outer jaw and is vertically hinged on one edge 22 to the pivot 14. The oppositely disposed edge 24 defines a large rounded indentation with a wedge-shaped horizontal lower part 28 forming the bottom of the innerjaw 15. The outer jaw 20 is curved to oppositely complement the indentation in the inner jaw 15 and form the variable annular space 29 therewith when the two jaws are pivoted around pivot l2joining them in their respectively upper parts.

Referring TO FIGS. 3 and 5, the inner jaw 15 is reinforced and stiffened at areas and edges by a plurality of braces; thus the upper edge is stiffened by brace 30, the upper part is reinforced by brace 32, and the indentation and the wedge-shaped lower part 28 by brace 34. A rotator-mounting bracket 36 forms part of brace 32 and a rotator 41 is fixed on said bracket for rotating the jaws around the pivot 14 in hinged edge 22. A

rotator drive shaft 37 extends from the bottom of the rotator and through an orifice defined in the mounting bracket 36.

The apparatus for fastening the invention on the bulldozer blade comprises two stationary mounting brackets 38 that secure to the side of the blade 16 and are spaced apart the length of the hinged side 22. The brackets 38 respectively cngage the opposite ends of pivot 14 in bushings 40 when the pivot 14 is inserted into the hinged side 22. A cover plate 42 is bolted to the upper mounting bracket 38 and includes a cooperatively recessed stud 44 to received the drive shaft 37. A bottom cover plate 46 is bolted to the end of the lower mounting bracket 38 to hold the pivot in place. When the rotator is actuated the rotator turns swinging its mounting bracket 36 and attached jaws 10 around the hinged pivot 14.

The apparatus for raising and lowering the jaw 20 with respect to jaw 15 comprises an hydraulic cylinder 48 secured to the upper part of aw 15 by pivot 50. The end of the piston rod 52 is similarly attached to the upper end of jaw 20 by pivot 54. When the cylinder is actuated from the auxiliary hydraulic system of the bulldozer the jaws 10 open and close.

In operation the bulldozer is driven to a log lying in any position forward or to the side of the bulldozer. A pair of jaws 10 is rotated by its rotator to a position normal, or approximately so, to the log and the jaw 20 is raised with the hydraulic cylinder. The bulldozer is then driven to insert the tip of the wedge-shaped lower part 28 under the log and the jaw 20 is rotated downward to scoop the log into and close the annular space 29. A number oflogs can be picked up by the same pair of jaws, the outer jaw 20 being powered to draw the plurality of logs together in the annular space between jaws. After the jaws 10 are closed, they are allowed to pivot freely around the hinged pivot 14 and in the direction dictated by the force exerted on the logs by the movement of the bulldozer as it is driven to pick up other logs or to drop its load. The wide swing of rigidly held logs is thereby obviated and the need for large clearings becomes nonexistent.

What is claimed is:

1. ln combination with a bulldozer with a blade mounted forward and having power takeoffs, apparatus for picking up and dragging elongated heavy objects such as logs lying on the ground and comprising: a pair of vertical jaws horizontally pivoted together at their upper parts and adapted for bottom opening and closing; mounting means for pivotally attaching said jaws to an outboard side of said blade, said jaws being adapted to freely swing outboard from forward through at least power-actuated first means mounted on said jaws and operably connected to said power takeoff for opening and closing said jaws around a log; power-actuated second means secured to said mounting means and connected to said power takeoff for swinging said jaws into position to pickup and hold a log lying adjacent thereto and releasing said jaws after pickup to swing freely around said mounting means, whereby said jaws are constrained by further movement of said bulldozer to assume a position approximately parallel to the direction of said movement thereby reducing the necessary space for maneuvering to the width of the bulldozer and the aws. 

1. In combination with a bulldozer with a blade mounted forward and having power takeoffs, apparatus for picking up and dragging elongated heavy objects such as logs lying on the ground and comprising: a pair of vertical jaws horizontally pivoted together at their upper parts and adapted for bottom opening and closing; mounting means for pivotally attaching said jaws to an outboard side of said blade, said jaws being adapted to freely swing outboard from forward through at least 90*; power-actuated first means mounted on said jaws and operably connected to said power takeoff for opening and closing said jaws around a log; poweractuated second means secured to said mounting means and connected to said power takeoff for swinging said jaws into position to pickup and hold a log lying adjacent thereto and releasing said jaws after pickup to swing freely around said mounting means, whereby said jaws are constrained by further movement of said bulldozer to assume a position approximately parallel to the direction of said movement thereby reducing the necessary space for maneuvering to the width of the bulldozer and the jaws. 